At the beginning of the year, Yumana embarked on an ambitious project: to answer the question of the future of intrapreneurship.
In 2021, after a complicated year, it was interesting to look in the rear-view mirror and paint a picture of this well-known corporate innovation mechanism. To respond to the many questions we have been asked, we launched our intrapreneurship barometer.
What are the intrapreneurship trends for the next 5 years? Now it’s time for the results.
Download the complete report here!
The results of the intrapreneurship barometer reveal some certainties
Intrapreneurship is a demanding journey, which is still struggling to gain consensus within companies, due in particular to the fact that there are still to few examples of intrapreneurial success stories. That said, the picture is not all bad. The barometer shows that the relevance and importance of having an intrapreneurship program are rated more than 8/10 by the respondents.
In 2021, the objectives of the programs are defined at the highest level of the organizations. The top management signs up to sponsor the programs, which makes it easy to promote the program internally and gain clarity. However, Yumana’s experience in structuring intrapreneurship programs proves that this sponsorship was not yet effective a few years ago… On the right track?
Moreover, the benefits of intrapreneurship programs are multiple for the company. Business added value (opening of new product lines, services, etc.), but also results in terms of transformation (corporate culture, change of mindsets, ways of working, etc.) as well as important HR benefits (employer brand, talent retention, attraction, etc.). Intrapreneurship programs are tools that transcend the organization.
But they also raise some questions and reveal possible areas of improvement
If the benefits are known and validated by all, and if the programs are supported by the COMEX… Why then are they struggling to take off?
The results of the barometer show certain weaknesses in the design of the programs, which directly impact their potential. These weaknesses can be analyzed at three levels:
1. The intrapreneurs’ journey
They are not enough supported in his intrapreneurial project. Not enough time allocated to the project, not enough autonomy, little or no financial incentive, a lack of support of intrapreneurs who were stopped in their project, etc.
The list is long, and intrapreneurs sometimes feel quite lonely in swimming against the organization. Companies would benefit from a real reflection on how to support and value intrapreneurs.
2. The governance in place
While HR and middle management must be involved in the adventure, an effort must be made to move from theory to practice. Managers often remain blocking points and are not sufficiently involved in the programs.
As for HR, it is important to make them the standard-bearers of the programs, as the impact can be significant at this level and the need to support the intrapreneur requires a significant and active participation of HR.
3. Program performance measurement
If the objectives and benefits of the programs are in line with a business approach, there is a clear gap between the expectations and the results obtained. The reason? The lack of quantitative indicators to measure the performance of the programs, the lack of quantified business objectives (revenue…).
How can you prove the added value of programs from a business point of view to top management without quantitative indicators? Although Top Management is often the driving force at the beginning, there is sometimes disappointment at the end, which is why some programs are stopped.
CEO & Co-Founder Yumana
